When you are preparing and doing last-minute packing (or last second changes at the airport), the base-root question (as opposed to the square-root question...) is "will I need this?". It comes in the form， ｈｏｐｅｆｕｌｌｙ ｌｅｓｓ ｏｆｔｅｎ， of "Will I need this blow-up inner tube or will I ｎｅｅｄ ｔｈｉｓ outfit I haven't worn in 2 years, but just maybe I'll wear it now?". Don't be ridiculous. My dad tells me on a monthly basis that we only use 20% of our clothes 80% of the time (80/20 principle in action). Bring that 20%.
Believe it or not, but those info sheets found in the "study abroad packets" that not many people (excuse me, students) read have some helpful info. It's hard to find some products (like deodorant) in China, but easy to find others (like ginseng toothpaste). Clothes, so long as you are medium sized, are also really really really cheap at the night markets - and come in bad English or cute patterns depending where you shop.
I don't like money belts/purses (whatever you want to call them). Yes, the keep your "goods" safe, but it's a hassle to access at the airport and on the street. Get a bag with an inside zipper or hook if you want "anti-theft" proof.
Also, bring your favorite over-the counter medicine. You will get sick. Don't believe that you are "invincible", because you're not. You will also get diarrhea. The great food in Asia comes at a price for the 1st week. But after the 1st week, if you try to eat American "greasy" food, you'll have a stomachache. Oh, the irony.
Prepare for slight different ways of doing normal things, such as using squat toilets and getting take-out soup in a bag (they assume you have your own bowl). Garbage cans are hard to find (subway stations always have them). Always keep an open mind. Always. Smile a lot. And you'll be just fine, just fine.
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